Continuously assess whether your small actions align with the big picture; and

Be aware of opportunities for collaboration

To me, this means that we should always seek opportunities for individual and organizational growth; that we should support an environment that allows us to challenge ourselves, and the communities that we are a part of.

This year’s Innovating for Environmental Health App Challenge was a tribute to this idea. The app challenge was a competition in which participants developed desktop and mobile apps, that would fulfill a new function, or improve upon an existing function.

The app challenge promoted the partnering of technology, environmental health, and government data. It served as a space for new ideas and welcomed individuals from around the world to propose solutions to environmental health issues.

The Innovating for Environmental Health App Challenge could not have been possible without the support of Hedgerow Software and Esri; with their help we were able to take a step into a new arena. We are so proud of this year’s results and look forward to seeing this program grow and evolve in the coming years.

I want to congratulate this year’s first place app challenge winners: Nicolas, Diana and Angela.

Their team developed Biky, an app that integrates alternative transportation, physical activity and community-building to tackle air contamination and promote a healthy lifestyle.

Thanks for reading,

Solly

To comment on a blog post, you must login. To login, please click here (will open in a new window) and then return to this page.

Editor's Note: The opinions expressed here are those of the author. They do not reflect NEHA policy, endorsement, or action, and NEHA does not verify the accuracy or science of the contents of the blog.